The aim in the long term is to have two to three million passengers using the airport every year.Continue reading
The BMW Group has signed a partnership agreement with Lufthansa concerning its car factory in Debrecen, under which larger capacity flights will be operated between Debrecen and Munich on Mondays and Fridays, as announced at a press conference in Debrecen on Friday after the arrival of the first plane.
The 215-seat Airbus A321neo, the airline’s largest aircraft serving short- and medium-haul routes, will operate on the route on these days, stressed Johannes Walter, Lufthansa Group Vice President, who himself arrived in Debrecen on the first flight on Friday afternoon. He was delighted that the flights will transport hundreds of BMW engineers and innovators between the two cities, for which they have signed a long-term agreement.
The new flight will take 1.5 hours from Debrecen to Munich, compared to 3-3.5 hours via Budapest,
he said.
Walter expressed the hope that tourists would also use their services in large numbers, as the five-star Munich airport is just one stop away, from where they can travel to destinations all over the world. He noted that Lufthansa’s commitment to Hungary is undiminished, with 141 destinations served from Budapest.
Johannes Walter, Vice President of the Lufthansa Group (R4), Liv Eske Herrström, CFO of BMW Manufacturing Hungary Kft. (R5), and Mayor László Papp (R6) in front of the 215-seat Airbus A321neo aircraft of Lufthansa at Debrecen International Airport. Photo: MTI/Czeglédi Zsolt
Liv Eske Herrström, CFO of BMW Manufacturing Hungary Kft., noted that the expansion of capacity was an important milestone, which was a tribute to the work of Lufthansa and Debrecen Airport. Improvements have been made in recent years that allow larger aircraft to land in Debrecen, she added. She said that today, more than a thousand employees work in Debrecen, preparing the BMW plant for the start of car production next year. The workforce is growing steadily, and Lufthansa’s higher capacity flights will allow employees to travel to and from home easily.
László Papp, Mayor of Debrecen, said that the airport strengthens Debrecen’s competitiveness, which is why its continuous development is important. He mentioned that they have upgraded the passenger security equipment, started to expand the passenger terminal, and have plans to build a new runway and a new passenger terminal.
Lufthansa flights operate between Debrecen and Munich on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. From last Friday, the 215-seat Airbus A321neo will carry passengers twice a week.
Via MTI, Featured image: Facebook/Papp László